Bid is still solid – Coe

Sebastian Coe insists England’s bid for the 2018 World Cup still has “solid foundations” despite chairman Lord Triesman being forced to quit.

Triesman stepped down following allegations he accused the Spanish and Russian football federations of bribery. The 66-year-old, who also vacates the same role with the FA, announced his decision following a hastily-arranged meeting with the FA board at Wembley on Sunday afternoon and was replaced by Geoff Thompson , the British FIFA vice-president.

Lord Sebastian Coe

Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Olympics, is also on the 2018 bid board, and said: “This has been a traumatic 48 hours but this does not become a bad bid overnight. Solid foundations are in place, we have the best venues, the most passionate fans, the best market for sponsors and an unparalleled ability to deliver this tournament in safe and secure surroundings.”

He added: “The only thing we don’t have is the private views of the former chairman.”

Allegations made in the Mail on Sunday suggested Triesman told a former aide that Spain were planning to bribe referees at this summer’s World Cup and offer their support to Russia’s bid for the 2018 World Cup if they were to help.

The England 2018 World Cup bid team faxed letters of apology to both associations as they attempted to minimise the damage caused, while FA board members David Sheepshanks and Roger Burden have been drafted in as acting joint chairmen of the FA.

“I have decided to resign as chairman of The FA and the 2018 Bid board,” Triesman said in a statement.

“A private conversation with someone whom I thought to be a friend was taped without my knowledge and passed to a national newspaper.

“That same friend has also chosen to greatly exaggerate the extent of our friendship.

“In that conversation I commented on speculation circulating about conspiracies around the world. Those comments were never intended to be taken seriously, as indeed is the case with many private conversations. The views expressed were not the views of the 2018 bid board or the FA.”